A Girl?
by renaissancegirl23
Summary: Meet Natalie, a young and tough girl found by Tunstall and goes to live and work with the Regulators. Pranks, fights, and a little romance come through. SOME Billy OC.
1. Chapter 1

A Girl?

This is my first published Young Guns fic! Hope you all enjoy it. Forget the whole war thing. This is just for fun, to see how a girl is accepted at the Tunstall ranch.

"Natalie, git down!" Natalie ducked as bullets flew by over her head. Ted raced by her, bent double, and disappeared through the wooden fence. Natalie tried the same escape in desperation, but the fence wouldn't open.

"Ted, you let me through!" she gritted, pounding the timbers, but the fence didn't budge. More bullets. Natalie scurried down alongside the fence, then turned a corner, running straight into a tall, smartly dressed man.

"Heavens, what trouble is this?" he asked calmly in an English accent.

"None of yours," muttered Natalie. She stood to run, but the man took her arm. "You let me go!"

"No, I think you better come with me." Natalie looked at the noble and grim man for a second.

"You're John Tunstall, ain't ya?"

"Quite right, dear girl. Now, have you changed your mind?"

The sounds of yelling and running drawing closer made up Natalie's mind. She nodded quickly, and John led her to his waiting wagon. She jumped aboard, ignoring his offered arm, and he climbed up next to her. Taking the reins, he started the horses into a trot, making Natalie's escape.

At the Tunstall ranch, Natalie looked around at her new surroundings. Dirty, dusty, but safe and promising. She brushed some dried mud from her pants as John led her to the main house.

"I'm not sure of your capabilities, uh…"

"Greenwater, Natalie Greenwater," she informed. "And as far as capabilities, I can ride, lift, tie, yell, haul, think, curse, sweat, bleed, shoot and rope as good as any man you can show me."

John smiled at Natalie's resolute face. "Still, Natalie," he stated, "you are still a female variety, and I shall not having you bunk in the same house as the rest of my crew. You can have the spare room in the house."

"The crew?"

"Yes, my boys."

"Your _sons_?"

"No, my collected boys. Young men of promise, but unfortunately not always discipline. Committed of petty crimes, but here they are working for me as I rehabilitate them into decent gentlemen."

Natalie laughed. "Uh-huh, I'm sure." Natalie looked down at her worn and faded attire, a man's attire, but her female form was quite evident. "You're sure they're not gonna mind me here? Being a _female variety_ and such?"

John was about to answer when the door to the house opened. Six men around twenty years old entered the dining room, talking and laughing, until they got sight of Natalie. Then, there was silence.

"What's that?" one of the men finally said.

"Excuse me?" asked John. "Have you forgotten your manners, William?"

"Sorry John," he giggled. "Ahem, may we make the acquaintance of this young flower blossom?"

Natalie was about to lunge at the guy, fists clenched, but John restrained her.

"This young lady is Natalie Greenwater, the newest Regulator."

Several of the men groaned in disbelief.

"John, you cain't be serious," said one. "I mean, I couldn't even believe it when you were taking in revolting half-breeds…" This remark was met by a forceful punch from another Regulator. Natalie smirked in spite of herself as the man rubbed his arm. "…but, a _woman_? You can't be serious, John."

"I am positively serious, Steven. She was running from the law, as you lot all were. Was she not allowed the same treatment you received?"

There was an awkward silence. Natalie offered her thoughts. "Look, I ain't too happy about working 'longside you miserable looking lot, but it beats being jailed, so I'm a-staying."

"Wonderfully put," remarked the giggling one with a mocking smile. Natalie glared at him.

"Well now," John announced, "how about some dinner?"

Later that night, after dinner, the men lay in their bunks, discussing the new Regulator.

"It's outrageous, Dick!" shouted Steve. "Do something about it!"

"Look, I don't really mind the lady's staying here. She might be a nice change from you lot," stated Chavez.

"Well, I sort of agree with you," said Doc. "Besides, she looked pretty strong and competent. I bet she's a mighty handy worker."

"Never saw a woman wearing trousers before," said Billy quietly. "What do you think, Charlie?"

Everyone waited for Charlie's response, but he only sighed. "Did you see her big brown eyes and that beautiful auburn hair?"

Everyone groaned and threw their pillows at the love-sick Regulator.


	2. Chapter 2

Here's another chapter. Hope you like. I don't own Young Guns (I wish!).

The next morning, the Regulators woke with the sunrise, as was the custom, and got dressed. They met with Tunstall in his house and sat down at the table for breakfast, with all of them noticing Natalie sitting next to Tunstall's chair at the table's head. They all also noticed Charlie hurrying to sit next to Natalie.

"Good morning, boys," announced Tunstall, entering into the dining room. "Another beautiful day ahead of us, doesn't it seem?"

"Of course, John," agreed Billy mischievously, "what with Miss Daffodil Goldenrod to brighten the day." He winked cheekily at the glaring Natalie.

"William, I imagine then that the extra spring in your step will come in handy with the extra chores that will be assigned to you."

The Regulators all chuckled at Billy's reprimand, and proceeded to eating their meal. Charlie made sure to pass everything to Natalie, and he did all he could to keep from sighing.

"So what kind of cattle you got here, Mr. Tunstall?" Natalie inquired.

"Well, mostly Hereford for beef, but we do have a couple of Guernsey for dairy," he answered.

"We also raise some hogs and chickens, so there's lots to do around here," added Dick.

"Did you care for livestock where you lived previously, Natalie?" asked Tunstall.

"Yeah," she answered, "my pa owned some Hereford. I mostly cared for them, and the rest of the farm, with my siblings' help."

"Troubled family?" asked Dick.

"I'd rather not discuss it, thank you," gritted Natalie. Silence settled for a while until Tunstall cleared his throat and made an additional statement.

"I also own a store in Lincoln, Natalie, if you would be interested in helping out there."

"And none of your boys work there?" Natalie set her fork on her plate and looked at Tunstall. He stammered for a minute.

"Well, I really need the help here, and, well, store work may be more suitable…"

Tunstall trailed off. The Regulators looked at each other, wondering what would happen next. Finally, Dick broke the silence.

"How about, Natalie, since you're the newest addition to this household, that you get to work in the store until a new person comes along?"

Tunstall agreed. "Yes, that will make things clearer. Good. Natalie, would you like to accompany me to the store today?"

Natalie felt her blood rise, and felt her need to say her piece.

"I ain't the type that works in stores, sir. It's just, well…"

"Let me work in her place, John," cried out Charlie eagerly. "Please?"

"Charles, you've never shown interest in store work before," said John. "Why now?"

"_Porque el quiere trabajar y pensar como un mujer obtener su mujer,_" muttered Chavez, which brought about Billy to start giggling again. (See the last quote at the end for translation.)

"I just want Miss Natalie to settle in nicely here, that's all," stated Charlie. "I think she should stay here if she doesn't feel comfortable going to the store."

Tunstall sighed. "Well, fine then. Charles, you may accompany me to the store today."

Later in the day, Natalie was cleaning the dairy cows' stalls. Billy found his way over to where she stood, and grinned at her.

"What do you want?" she asked impatiently.

"Oh, nothing," he said whimsically. "I just wanted you to know that you're not really all that special."

"Excuse me?"

"Causing Charlie to go to the store today," he explained nonchalantly. "Charlie's smitten with anything female in these parts. However, seeing as how you seem barely female, maybe you are a bit special."

Natalie threw down her pitchfork and ran yelling at Billy. She hit him full force, and he staggered back and to the side. They both landed in a large pile of loose hay. Natalie swung her fists at Billy, sometimes hitting and sometimes missing. Billy laughed as he caused her to trip and fall on back. He pinned her down, with both of his hands holding her down at her wrists.

Just at that moment, Chavez and Dick walked into the same vicinity, carrying saddles needing oil. They saw the pair of them in the hay, out of breath. They stood stock still for just a second, and then fell about in peals of laughter. Greatly embarrassed, Natalie wiggled free, kicking Billy aside, and stomped out of the barn.

"Because he wants to work and think like a woman to get his woman."

Sorry if my Spanish is a little off!


	3. Chapter 3

School's out! Now, a lot more of my fanfic updates can be expected. Happy summer vacation to all you fellow students out there! Enjoy chapter 3.

A week had passed on the Tunstall ranch since Natalie Greenwater's arrival. Most of the Regulators had grown accustomed to the newest hand, but the relationship between Natalie, Billy, and Charlie grew into an almost unbearable tension. Everyday, Natalie found Charlie gazing lovingly at her, and Billy smirking at her. Dick informed Natalie that Charlie was always a love-sick being, and Billy just wanted to cause trouble, and that she should just ignore them both. Natalie tried, but after Billy "accidentally" dropped Natalie's brush, her only feminine possession, in the muddiest part of the pigpen, she snapped.

"Sir, you've gotta help me out here!" she pleaded to Tunstall.

"Alright, Natalie, I'll talk to Billy," he promised, wondering if taking the girl in had been a great move after all, "but in the meantime, miss, try to be the bigger man—er, person. Have you tried ignoring Billy?"

"Yes! If he enters the barn, the house, or the corral, I leave, even if it inconveniences me. I just can't stand him smirking at me!"

"Natalie, please, for the good of us all, keep from taking a revenge on him for a little while. Now, you say he dropped your brush in the pigpen?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then, we shall replace it, at his expense, of course."

"Thank you, sir."

"This warrants a trip to town. I'm sure the boys will appreciate it. We shall go in Saturday; you may inform the boys."

"Yes, sir." Tunstall turned from Natalie, and she exited the house and kicked at a clump of dirt. A trip to town was not exactly what she wanted, especially when she knew Tunstall was itching to get some "proper lady clothes" for her.

"Hey, watch it!" Natalie jumped back, realizing she had almost walked in front of Steve atop his horse. "Careful of where you're goin', Lee!"

The boys, except for Charlie and Billy, had taken to calling Miss Greenwater "Lee", which had helped her fit in, made her feel more like one of their equals.

"Sorry, Steve. I've a lot on my mind."

"Oh?"

"Tunstall's taking us to town on Saturday, and I'm not really looking forward to it." Natalie found herself taking to a cloud of dust, though, as Steve had galloped off at the word "town" to tell the other boys. Natalie shrugged and made her way down to the well, where she would gather water for the horses.

Later that night, in the bunk house, the tired Regulators of the Tunstall ranch lay in their bunks, discussing what they discussed every night: Natalie.

"She's certainly something, isn't she?" said Doc. "I mean, I've met lots of ladies, but nothing like her."

"There's nothing special about her," said Billy nonchalantly. "She's just like all the rest of them, but in pants."

"She's an angel," proclaimed Charlie, smiling.

"Charlie, you say that about anything with long hair and a pretty face," said Dick.

"Yeah, soon he'll be seeing Chavez as an angel," said Steve. The guys laughed as Chavez threw a pillow at the mocker. However, he smiled a little and spoke.

"You know, I think that for all the bad times he's giving her, I think our own Billy is smitten with Lee."

The boys, except Charlie, chuckled at Billy's reaction.

"And just why do you say that?" he demanded.

"Oh, come on. Boys tease girls they like. They're polite and neutral to ones they don't really care about, but they tease girl they do like, so they'll have their attention."

"That's the dumbest thing I ever heard, Chavez."

"No, I think it's true," agreed Doc. "Of course, it's more of a juvenile thing, but you're not called Kid for nothing, are you?"

The boys laughed and Billy glared at Doc. "I don't want here, okay? She's, well, she's a _she_! Girls don't have any reason to live on ranches except if they stay in the house and wear a dress, and she's just making us look bad. She's working circles around all of us, admit it, and you guys are just accepting it. She hasn't even told us what she did to get her here, and I think it's time we knew. Tomorrow, I'm going to find out. Dick, I think you should come with, being foreman and all, because it's your business to know all the petty crimes that got us here."

Dick sighed. "Well, if it'll make you feel better. But after this, you better start acting nicer toward Lee, William H. Bonney."

"Will do, Richard."

The next morning, Natalie rose early, washed her face, got dressed, making sure the blinds were tightly pulled down after the little fiasco involving Billy and a mirror, and walked out of the house to the porch. She groaned in dismay as she found all six Regulators waiting for her.

"What?" she asked flatly.

"Lee," said Dick, clearing his throat, "We all decided that you better tell us what you did that caused you to come here."

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"We're all criminals, or so the townspeople say," said Doc. "What did you do that made Tunstall think you should come here?" Natalie surveyed the boys, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"I don't quite think it fair for me to stand here on trial and tell all of you." She frowned and looked at Dick. "Could I just tell you in the house?"

Dick looked at the Regulators, who nodded at him. "Yeah, we can do that." He followed her back into the house, and they sat at the kitchen table.

"What I did wasn't very major, you see," she began. "It's more of who I am. Five years ago, when I was fifteen, I rode out away from home with my brother, Hank. He and some of his friends and me rode around through various towns, just wanting to get away from the town that had treated us bad. The Greenwater family had a reputation as not being the most respectable clan, and even though we tried using aliases, people figured us out. They accused Hank of stealing, violence, and philandering, with hardly any of it true, and I also received a bad reputation, with me being a girl and all. Anyway, about two months ago, Hank and two of his pals were chased out of town after they stole a horse and were shot down. I just rode on with two other guys, and they…" Natalie's voice trailed off and her eyes burned a bit as she struggled for words. "…They _assaulted _me, took my horse, and dropped me off in Lincoln. I didn't really know what to do, so I just kind of sulked around for a while, and the 'authorities' just kicked me around and didn't try to help me. I did meet a guy named Ted, though, who said he wanted to help me. He didn't bother to tell me he was wanted for murder, though, so when he was being chased, he dropped me in his flight and Tunstall came and took me in."

"You have my condolences, Lee," said Dick quietly.

"Don't need them." Natalie stood and coughed and quickly wiped her eyes. She walked toward the door, but Dick took her arm and stopped her.

"If any of the boys are mistreating you, just let me know," he said.

Natalie nodded. "Just keep Billy away from me."

Dick nodded, keeping a serious face, recalling the conversation of last night in the bunk house.


	4. Chapter 4

On Saturday morning, the buckboard was hitched up to the team, and the Regulators mounted their horses. They started up the long, dusty road to Lincoln, with Lee riding beside Dick and Steve, keeping her distance from Billy and Charlie. Upon entering town, Natalie kept her head tilted down, avoiding eye contact with any of the townspeople. They dismounted and hitched up their horses, and John Tunstall took his newest Regulator's arm.

"Would you like to look around for some nice female clothes in the general store?" he asked her. She reacted with a face of disgust. "Natalie, please, don't make this hard for me. Would you rather I didn't give you help and left you on your own? You have been an excellent Regulator thus far, but I think you shall fare even better in life if you accept who you are: A wonderful female person. Now please, shall we? Consider it a gift; I bought each of my boys respectable clothes when they first arrived."

Finally, she had to relent. "Alright, but nothing too frilly." They entered Tunstall's store and looked around. Tunstall talked to a friendly woman employee of his, and she came to Natalie's side.

"May I take your measurements, miss?" She quickly took them and jotted them on a pad. "Oh, you are in luck. I have lots of dresses your size; you'll have lots to choose from. But first, honestly, what's your favorite color?" Lee was taken aback by the question. Favorite color? She hadn't even considered that. Instead, she thought of the prettiest image she could muster.

"I like sunsets," she managed to say. The lady smiled.

"Oh, I have just the thing for you, then." In a few minutes, Lee found herself wearing a gorgeous dress: The bodice front was a pale cream, and the sleeves a deep red, and the skirt was a matching red with the cream for trim. The lady set a cream bonnet with red and orange ribbons on her head, and Lee had to admit she liked what she saw; she also admitted to herself she enjoyed being fussed over. She eventually took off the dress, and it was replaced with a plain black dress with purple piping.

"A good black dress is perfect for church, funerals, court days, anything," said the lady. Lee thought she didn't look as pretty in this dress, but didn't say anything.

When she was finally wearing her normal clothes again, she came up to Tunstall. "Satisfied now?"

He nodded, and let her exit the store. Lee kept her face down as she passed people, not wanting them to give her strange looks, or for any of them to recognize her. A ways from the store, Doc caught up with her.

"So did you find some nice dresses, Lee?" he inquired.

"Yes," she muttered, "but don't expect me to be wearing any of them a whole lot. Dresses just wear you down; I don't know how women can constantly wear them." She looked around the town. "So, where's everyone else?"

Doc looked a little embarrassed. "Well, most of them went to the saloon down the way, but Dick and I are just kind of wandering around."

"A saloon? What's wrong with that?" Doc looked incredulously at her.

"You're a lady; ladies don't belong in saloons."

"To everyone else here, I'm a man. Watch." She turned to a pair of passing women. Lee tipped her hat and said with a lowered voice, "Evenin', ladies."

"Good evening, sir," said one. They walked on, not knowing the difference.

"You see, Doc? Now, show me what saloon they went to. I need a little drink."

"Drinking's not allowed, you know that."

"Well, maybe I want to play some poker. Now, show me." Doc sighed and pointed down the street to a saloon with foul smells and piano music drifting from it. Lee walked off to it, and entered through the swinging doors.

Natalie had been in several saloons before; none of them strayed from the ordinary cigar smoke, loud music, fights, and bottomless kegs of drink. Lee adapted a manly stride and sauntered over to where the other Regulators stood.

"How come you all end up here?" Natalie asked.

"Some of the other saloons don't allow us in," explained Chavez. "Regulators don't have the best reputation around here."

Natalie nodded. Suddenly, she realized a bar floozy was walking up to her.

"Hey, handsome, how you doing?" The blonde asked. Chavez turned quickly, stifling his laughter.

"Uh, get away from me, lady," Lee said gruffly. The blonde huffed and strode over to another patron. Chavez and Lee exchanged looks and they briefly laughed.

"Well, I just want to play some poker; can we play some here?" asked Lee.

"Of course," said Steve. "Grab a table." Lee and Steve walked over to a table where two men sat.

"Excuse me, fellas," she said in her "manly" voice, "Would you be interested in playing a little poker with my friend and I here?"

The men agreed, and the Regulators sat down. One of the men dealt the cards, and took a quick look at Natalie. "What's your name, son?"

"Lee," she answered honestly.

The playing went on for a while, with Natalie winning the majority of the games. She played in a business-like manner, and had a face of stone. A small crowd had gathered to watch the games, and a few more people were dealt in. The Regulators joined, too, cheering on Steve and Lee. Eventually, Billy wanted to join.

"Hey, deal me in," he said. Lee looked up: Billy stood with a blonde floozy on each arm, and for some reason, her heart stung, and she lost her breath for a minute. But, she quickly regained her air and dealt another round with an extra hand. Five minutes passed, and it was down to Lee and Billy. Charlie stood behind Billy, and noticed what he had: The two of clubs, the eight and seven of spades, and the jack and five of diamonds. In other words, nothing. He started signaling to Lee what Billy was holding, but unfortunately, none too subtly.

One of the men who lost quite a sum to Lee noticed.

"Hey! That guy's helping him out!" Lee snapped her head up and saw Charlie's pantomiming. Charlie stopped in the middle of making a diamond symbol with his hands when he felt all the mad eyes staring at him.

"That Lee feller has been cheating all along!" The other men who lost money hauled Lee out of her chair and immediately, a fight ensued. The Regulators tried holding the other men back, and Lee fought her way as well. Soon, though, her hat was knocked from her head, and her long, slightly curly brown hair fell down her back. Now, she appeared as all she really was: A woman in a man's clothing. The men stared in disbelief, and Tunstall's boys came to her side.

"We better get going, Lee," muttered Chavez. They quickly strode out of the saloon and down the street to the buckboard. Tunstall got the impression that the trip would be cut short a bit. The Regulators mounted their horses, and signaled for Dick and Scurlock to mount theirs. They rode out of town, with every one who had been in the saloon angry at Charlie, and with Lee wondering why it had bothered her so much to see Billy with those two girls on his arms.


	5. Chapter 5

After the whole poker game fiasco, all the Regulators remained rather angry with Charlie over the next few days, Natalie in particular. But after a week had passed, life was returning to normal, and the resentment was forgotten for the most part.

One day, when Natalie was helping repair fence with Dick, her mind was still stuck on why she had been troubled at seeing Billy with the other women. She wanted to talk about it to Dick, she trusted him, but tried to do so casually.

"Um, Dick?"

"Yeah, Lee?"

"I was just wondering, do you boys ever go with any of the town ladies?"

"You mean like courting?"

"Yeah."

"Well, not on a regular basis I guess. Tunstall says that when we've become respectable members of society again, he'll look for places for us nearer to town. Then we can start thinking about marriage and stuff like that."

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense." Still, Lee was not satisfied. "It's just, well, do any of the boys in particular have girls right now they're after?"

Dick remained silent for a minute, thinking of how Billy, though he constantly teased Lee, secretly felt affection for her.

"Not anyone in particular for any of the boys," he said. "And I think you can stop worrying about Charlie hounding you; he's realized you're not the gal for him."

"Thank goodness."

They kept on repairing barbed wire that had been torn from the posts, their thoughts kept quiet until Dick finally spoke.

"You know, Lee, I think you better know that Billy is actually quite fond of you, despite what he'd have you think."

Lee tried to remain unmoved as her heart rapidly contracted. She appeared indifferent to the remark. "Well, that's just too bad for him; I'll never care for him."

They didn't speak after that. Soon, the job was done, and they rode their horses back to the barn. After unsaddling them and brushing their hides down, the two strode back to the house. The sky was darkening, and their jobs for the evening were completed.

Inside the house, the other Regulators sat on the scattered chairs and sofas of the informal parlor, waiting for dinner to begin. Lee was about to sit on the large tan sofa by Chavez when a voice coming from the dining room startled her.

"Who's in the dining room with John?" she asked out loud to no one in particular.

"Oh, a new recruit," Chavez answered. "I didn't quite catch his name."

Lee went cold as she sunk to the sofa cushion. She knew whose voice it belonged to: Ted!

As the dinner bell was rung, the Regulators walked into the dining room and sat at their places. Lee, like the men, removed her hat, and the long red-brown braid fell down her back. She tried to not look in the direction of the new recruit as John introduced him.

"I'd like to introduce you all to Mr. Theodore Rawlings. I'm sure that you will make him welcome here, and will treat him fairly. Shall we introduce ourselves to the latest Regulator?" The men went around, saying their names and nodding in acknowledgement to Ted, as he called himself. However, when it came to be Lee's turn, she sat coldly, her mouth shut tightly.

"Young lady, introduce yourself," Tunstall said. Lee hated upsetting John, so she spoke up.

"I'm Lee Greenwater."

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Greenwater," Ted stated. He made no sign that he already knew Lee, and treated her as a stranger. "I never expected there to be a woman working for you, Mr. Tunstall. No offense, Miss Greenwater."

"Sir, we call her 'Lee' around her," said John in her defense. "No need for formalities."

Ted apologized and the introductions went on. After supper, they all retired to the parlor, where they commenced with the evening ritual of reading from the paper. Lee made the effort to sit as far away from Ted as possible. They all read their parts, with John offering help on some of the bigger words, and finally, the time came for sleep. Lee went to her room, and the boys all walked out to the bunkhouse.

After Ted situated his bunk, he casually asked, "So, what's the deal with that girl?"

"What do mean?" asked Chavez guardedly. "She's just the same as the rest of us."

"Yeah, but come on, you guys just accept her?"

"You'll get used to her," said Steve. "She's fine."

The boys went to sleep, and before Ted closed his eyes, he thought about how to get Lee back. She had said she loved him when she came to Lincoln, but then, she bailed on him! Ted would get her to come back to him, willingly or no.

Over the next few days, life went on. No one really suspected that Lee and Ted already knew each other, but the boys did notice Lee seemed rather uncomfortable around him. Again, Dick confronted her.

"Lee, is there something going on between you and Ted? You don't really seem to be taking to him."

Lee kept on collecting eggs as she replied, "Remember when I told you what I did to get here? Remember I said I met a guy named Ted, who was wanted for murder?"

Dick thought back to their conversation, and realization hit him. "Oh…"

"Yeah. Why don't you tell John about him?"

"Do I look like a tattletale? Just, please don't leave me alone with him, okay?" Natalie dropped her voice and grasped Dick's hand. He smiled and squeezed back.

"I won't, I promise you that."


	6. Chapter 6

On a rather gloomy morning, Lee woke and dressed and went down to the barn to clean stalls and milk the cows. She walked by the bunkhouse, and saw the boys leaving for the stables, where they would saddle up and ride out to the corrals. In the barn, Natalie noticed nothing suspicious; the regular mooing and lowing of the cows greeted her. She opened the large barn door and herded the Guernsey cows out. Grabbing the pitchfork, she went to work.

"Hey, Natalie." Lee spun around to face the addresser. Ted stood there, a mocking smirk on his face.

"What d'you want?" she asked grimly.

"Natalie, my girl, please, don't you remember your old Ted?" He walked towards her. "What's changed between us?"

"The fact that you abandoned me to save your own hide," she replied. She gripped the pitchfork handle tightly. "I wish you would have been hanged."

"You can't hang what you can't catch, hon," he replied. He stepped forward. "I know that you won't complain to Tunstall that I'm here; it's not your nature. You better keep your friends close to you, Natalie." He winked slyly and walked out of the barn. Lee trembled for just a moment, and then started cleaning stalls.

Lee never reported the encounter with Ted to anyone. Though she disguised it, he haunted her thoughts. She no longer cared about her feelings for Billy; Ted now concerned her far more. However, a slight relief came when the holidays rolled around. On Christmas afternoon, all members of the Tunstall ranch gathered in the parlor to exchange gifts. Lee gladly received her presents; all the boys gave her appropriate things. Lastly, she opened her gift from Billy. Inside the box lay a brush identical to the one he had ruined.

"Thank you, Billy," she gasped. Chavez nudged Dick and nodded toward Billy: William was blushing ever so slightly.

On New Year's Eve, they all rode to town for the celebrations. When Lee emerged from the house in her crimson and cream dress, the boys could hardly take their eyes from her; she radiated beauty. Natalie climbed into the sidesaddle (her gift from John), and tried to ignore the stares of her friends and the ever-present smirk of Ted.

In town, the boys split up to talk with their various town friends and dance with the ladies. Natalie looked around, not sure of what to do with herself. The situation was resolved, however, when a tall, dark-haired man walked up to her.

"Hello," he said. "May I have this dance?" Natalie nodded dumbly. She took the man's hand, with a shock running through her: _I don't know how to dance!_

This didn't seem to matter, however. The man danced superbly, and practically danced for her.

"What's your name?" he asked pleasantly.

"Natalie." She had nearly forgotten her real name, having been called "Lee" for the past months.

"Natalie, eh? I'm Scott Olson." They danced for a while, and then he asked, "Do you live around here? I haven't seen you before?"

"I, uh, live in the country on a ranch." She chose her words carefully. She hated lying, but the truth of her being a ranch hand seemed entirely repulsive at the moment.

"Really? That's fascinating; I've never really been on a ranch before. I help my parents run the town hotel, and I work at the post office." The song ended, and he took her arm in his. "Mind if I walk you around a little?"

"No," she answered. They walked around the outside of the crowds, with him chatting about town life and his interests. _He doesn't seem self-centered_, Lee surmised, _he just likes sharing what he thinks._

"So, Natalie, what about you?"

"What?" She had been caught up in his melodious voice, not really digesting what he said, but just listened to the sound.

"What interests you? What's your family like?"

"My family?" _Uh oh. Time to fake it 'til I make it._ "Well, on our ranch, I'm the only girl at the present."

"Oh. Your mother has passed?"

"Yes." This was not a lie; her mother had died when Natalie was three.

"Lots of brothers?"

"Yeah."

"That must pose many challenges."

"Well, I could probably hog tie any of them if they get out of line." Natalie's hand shot to her mouth, not believing what she had just said. Scott looked at her for a moment then laughed merrily.

"I bet you could," he said. Lee forced a smile, relieved he didn't find her crude.

"I do ride my horse good, I guess that's an interest."

"You ride?"

"All the time."

"Well, as do I. Not as much as I used to, though. About twenty years ago, I was a Pony Express rider."

"Really?" Natalie had always idolized the Pony Express riders, and wanted to be one of them despite her gender. The idea of just riding all day meant thrill to her.

"Oh, definitely. I was one of the youngest riders; I was only fourteen when I started, but I was taller and stronger than most boys my age. My parents actually encouraged me; they thought the experience would greatly enrich me. They were quite right."

"But, I didn't know the Express rode through New Mexico."

"No, I lived in Missouri at the time. When I turned eighteen, my parents moved down here. Have you lived here all your life?"

"Yeah, in the general area or so." Natalie looked around her. Only a minute of the old year remained. "Do you have any plans for the new year?" she asked.

"Well, I was hoping to start a family." He paused. "That is, if I find the right girl first." He smiled at Natalie, who returned the smile. "Any resolutions for you?"

"Not really, but there are still a few seconds to think of some." They laughed as the countdown progressed.

"…Three, two, one, happy New Year!" The band started playing _Auld Lang Syne,_ and gunshots were fired. Couples around them shared their first kiss of the year, and Scott bent down, to make himself audible over the noise.

"Natalie, would you do me the honor?" She smiled a bit reluctantly, hoping he wouldn't take favors, but smiled when he delivered a chaste peck to her cheek. They danced together as the band struck up a lively tune. The partner-less Regulators on the side scrutinized their actions.

"Check out Lee with that high and mighty town boy," stated Steve. "He's more polished than a silver saddle."

"Don't be jealous, Steven," said John, who walked up to the group. He smiled at the dancing pair. "It's nice to see her as a lady. It's nice to actually see her smile."

"You don't think this is going anywhere, do you?" asked Billy. "They've been together since we got here."

The Regulators glanced at Billy, a knowing look in their eyes. He frowned and turned the other way. He then noticed the newest Regulator, who wore a strange look on his face. Ted watched the smiling Lee hatefully. She belonged to him, not this town boy!


	7. Chapter 7

I am now returned from my two-week intermission! I hope I didn't worry any of you readers out there; the story shall continue!

On an overcast morning, Natalie Greenwater woke with a terrible stomachache. Her mouth was parched, and her head stung like fire. She tried to force herself to stand, but could barely push herself out of bed. John knocked on the bedroom door, and entered at her soft groan.

"Oh, Natalie, you look terrible."

She tried to hide her face and not look sick, but her body won over her vanity and she lay there as John put his hand on her forehead.

"You're burning up, my dear. You need to stay in bed. I'll go talk to the boys; they'll take care of all your chores until you feel better." He left, only to return a few minutes later with a glass of water, a cool rag for her forehead, and a small bucket, just in case she should need it.

Natalie took a small sip of water and returned the glass to the stand, then fell into a fitful slumber.

Outside, the boys received the news, and they didn't complain about taking on the extra load of work; they had grown quite fond of their female colleague. All of them, however, except Ted.

"What do you think's wrong with her?" Charlie asked Dick. "Nothing serious, I hope."

"Maybe just the flu, according to what Tunstall described," he answered. "And she's been going at such a fast pace lately; she's probably just worn out and needs rest."

"I hope it ain't contagious," said Steve.

"Well, I doubt it is." Dick turned to face the speaker, Ted, who wore his normal smirk.

"And why do you say that?" asked the foreman.

"Because," he said matter-of-factly, "it's probably a woman thing."

The Regulators looked at him skeptically. "A _woman_ _thing_?" asked Doc.

"Sure, you know how women have all their little problems."

"Like what?" asked Chavez.

"You know, things!" Ted sighed. "I guess you young guys just don't know about women like I do. They're so much weaker and have their little feeblenesses and such…"

"Are you saying, sir, that Lee's weak?" inquired Billy, his voice rising slightly. "Because if you are…"

"Billy, calm down." Dick held out his arm to restrain the angry Regulator. He looked at Ted. "And I'll have to ask you to not insult any member of this ranch again."

Ted shrugged and walked off. Dick turned and faced Billy. "You can't get so offended when he talks like that, Billy. You're the most likely one to go off and do something bad around here."

"He insulted Lee!" he cried. "You're disrespecting her by just standing there and letting him do that!" He lunged for Dick, but found himself being restrained by Chavez and Doc. He quickly cooled down and shook the other men from him and stormed off in the opposite direction that Ted had gone.

The next day, Lee woke feeling a bit better. She had slept the entire day before, right up to eleven o'clock the next morning. Her stomach craved food, so she rose from her bed and walked to the kitchen.

After locating a nice slice of cornbread and some bacon, she ate her meal. Still feeling a bit chilly and shaky, she returned to her room and sat on her bed. She took the brush Billy had given her from the nightstand and combed her long reddish-brown hair, then plaited it into a single long braid. Though she had occupied this room for some time, she had never really studied it. The room was not just a storage space with a bed; someone had actually used it as a bedroom before her. The person had been female, from the looks of things. A pretty chest of drawers with a small mirror on top occupied the far wall; flowery wallpaper stretched around the whole room. Lee had never even looked in the room's closet. Now she stood and walked to the double doors and pulled them open.

Inside, Natalie found several dresses and a few large and several small boxes. She examined every dress closely. From remembering what the town ladies wore, she assumed these different dresses no longer stood in fashion. Opening the large boxes, she found gloves and hats and parasols. She kept a few of them out, hoping to pair them with her two dresses, and suddenly found herself wishing she had more than two. In the smaller boxes, she found small purses and lots of jewelry, smelling salts, and even a little rouge. She pulled the elegant gold necklaces and ruby bracelets out and tried them on, but stopped when she saw Tunstall standing in front of her. She quickly stood, but finding shaky legs supporting her, she sat back down on the bed.

"Oh, hello, Mr. Tunstall."

"Hello, Natalie. I see you found what lay in the closet." He picked up the boxes and replaced them to their former locations.

"Are you mad, Mr. Tunstall? I didn't mean to take anything."

"No, it's just…" He trailed off, then sniffed slightly and coughed. "Most of these things belonged to my wife and daughter. They sent some of their things with me when I came over here, to place in the house before they came. However, they both died of consumption before emigrating."

"I'm really sorry, Mr. Tunstall. I didn't know." Lee felt nauseous again and leaned back. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright." John coughed again. "Are you feeling better today, Natalie?"

"A bit, yeah."

"Good. Keep resting; I'm sure you'll feel much improvement soon."

Natalie lay down as John left the room. She opened her eyes, however, when he slowly returned.

"Natalie, you may wear anything in the closet if you wish. You do remind of my daughter so much, and I'm sure she's rather see her things on you rather than in a dusty closet."

Natalie closed her eyes and smiled. "Thank you."


	8. Chapter 8

-1 Over the next few days, Natalie returned to good health. She returned to her work, and the male Regulators told her many times how glad they were to see her again. That is, of course, except Ted.

"Why's he always smirking at you like that?" asked Charlie as he and Lee fed the chickens.

Lee tried to sound calm. "Probably because he's a slow-minded moron who thinks he's God's gift to women," she said.

"What a jerk," said Charlie. "I'd like to teach that guy a lesson some time. I'm a pugilist, you know."

Lee smiled. "Yeah, I know."

She continued to feed the chickens, then fetched her basket to collect eggs. She walked down to the henhouse, humming slightly as she went.

From the stables, Ted watched his target. Over the few weeks of being near Lee again, his mind had craved her, driving him to obsession. She constantly burned him with her ignoring ways, her haughty looks. Who did she think she was! Hadn't she only half a year ago proclaim him as her savior, her love of her life? Ted's eyes flickered anxiously. He no longer cared what the other Regulators would do to him in response to his actions. He stepped out from his hiding place and strode down to the henhouse.

Placing a brown egg in the basket, Lee's eyes looked up at the shadow on the wall. The masculine silhouette tread slowly towards her, and she spun around.

"What do you want?" she snapped nervously at Ted.

His red-tinted eyes bore holes into her head. He reached out harshly and grabbed her arm. "Natalie…you know that you're mine…," he muttered sadistically. His other arm lunged out for her shirt collar. Lee screamed and swung out with the egg basket. It crashed into Ted's head, but it didn't phase him. He pushed her against the wall, but she pushed back, escaping from being backed up to the wall. She tried to fight his grasp, but his arms pulled her to him, frightening her.

A pent-up rage inside of Lee tore itself from deep inside of her, and exploded in a blood-curdling yell and a kick to Ted's stomach. He gasped and released her involuntarily, and she ran out of the henhouse, in the direction of the house. He recovered and chased after her, screaming her name.

"Doc!" Billy yelled to his companion. "Lee's in trouble!" Billy kicked his pony's sides, and he tore off across the pasture. Doc followed.

Arriving upon the scene, Billy found Lee pummeling her fists against Ted, who held her to his side. Billy leapt from his horse on top of Ted, sending him sprawling to the ground. Lee scrambled from him and lay gasping on the ground. Billy quickly drew his gun, cocked it, and aimed for Ted.

The gun fired straight into the air as Doc pulled back Billy's wrist.

"Why'd you do that?" he screamed hysterically.

"Don't do anything you'll regret," yelled Doc. He ran at and tackled Ted and sat on him, tying his hands behind back. Doc hauled the man upright and pushed him into the house. Billy was left alone with the sobbing Lee.

He sat down by his friend and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Lee…"

"Don't touch me!" she screamed, slapping his hand away. She drew her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms around her legs. "Don't touch me."

She rocked back and forth on her heels, sobs wrenching from her body. Billy sat near her; he tried to think of something comforting to say. "Lee, don't think it was your fault."

"Yeah, it was!" She lifted her tear-streaked face. "It's my fault! I shouldn't of come here; I was just asking for trouble." She turned from him, but then slowly turned her head back to face him. "You don't know what it's like to have my life. You don't know what it's like to be abused and left to die, and then saved by a false hope. You don't know what's it like to be then thrown into a situation where you're the only girl and no one understands you." Natalie pulled back her long hair, which had been messed up in the brawl. "Sometimes I just want to be a guy."

Billy suddenly felt quite different; the slightly insane, immature Billy The Kid left him for a minute, and suddenly he was William H. Bonney, gentleman.

"No you don't, Lee," he whispered sincerely. "Us guys may not know what you're all about, but we don't hate you or anything for it. We're glad you're a little different; it makes us wish we could be a little like you. At least you have some class, some prospects, whereas we're just dirty ranch hands." He reached out and lightly patted her hand. "You've got people admiring you, and you just don't know it."

Natalie looked up and a small smile brightened her face. "Really?"

"You bet." Just then, the rest of the Regulators reined their horses in the yard.

"What happened?" asked Dick, dismounting. "Billy, what happened?"

Billy looked to Lee, and helped her to her feet. "Ted attacked Lee, but Doc managed to subdue him; he's in the house now."

"That son of a…," muttered Dick, trailing off. He looked at Natalie. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I guess." She realized she was shaking all over. "Billy, can you help me into the house?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah." He put his arm over her shoulders and walked her up to the house. The other Regulators walked their horses to the barn, unsaddled them, then walked to the house.

That day, Tunstall and the Regulators doled out ranch justice; Ted was officially removed from the Tunstall ranch, and was then restrained in the buckboard with ropes. John took the reins and drove to town, followed by Dick and Charley, their pistols fully loaded.

Natalie sat in her room, wrapped in an old quilt. She hoped that from now on, Ted would be safely locked away in a jail cell, or better yet, hanged. Yes, hanged would be good. As she sat in her room, Tunstall filed the complaint with the sheriff, who then locked Ted up in a cell. Satisfied, John, Charley, and Dick left town and returned to the ranch.

A small knock on Lee's door caused her to start a bit. She calmed, however, and stood to open the door.

"Hi." Billy stood in front of her, slightly smiling. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay for tonight before I go to bed."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Lee replied softly.

"Ted's locked up in town, so you don't need to worry about him."

"I won't."

"Okay." Billy looked ready to go, and was starting to turn when Lee took his hand. She smiled up at him and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"Thanks for all you did today, Billy." She turned back to her room and closed the door, leaving Billy with stars shooting in his head. He eventually wandered down to the bunkhouse, where the Regulators were already abed.

"What's with the silly grin?" asked Dick.

"Nothin'," said Billy, crawling under the covers.

In Lincoln, the sheriff unlocked the door on Ted's cell. He stepped into the enclosure and surveyed the man before him. He eventually spoke, slowly at first.

"Murphy's men are always on the look-out for people helping out John Tunstall, and they aren't looking for people to reward. They know all about that girl he has employed up at his place, and they've been wanting to see her hurt somehow. Now, I ain't for that kind of behavior at all, but word'll get around to Murphy eventually. I want the story to be I imprisoned you just for a little while, that I didn't really mean to punish you. So I'm going to let you go." He stood, and let Ted pass by him. "I gotta look out for myself and my family, you know."

"I know what you mean, sir," said Ted wickedly. He pressed a coin into the sheriff's hand. "Much obliged."

The sheriff watched Ted walk out into the dark night, praying that this crazy guy would stay away from Natalie Greenwater.


	9. Chapter 9

-1 A week after the incident of Ted attacking Natalie, the Regulators rode to Lincoln for a day in town. Lee sat atop her side-saddle in her red and cream dress, happily recovered from the attack. Lee was also excited about the prospects of possibly seeing a certain Mr. Scott Olson again.

In town, the Regulators fanned out in their separate ways. Natalie felt she could not really go into the saloon again, so she rode with Tunstall to the store. Inside, she looked around at different dresses and materials. She delicately touched the velvets, silks, calicos, muslins, and other cloths. Eventually, John helped her pick out a new dress, three shirtwaists and a long skirt.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Tunstall," Natalie said, holding her packages.

"You're welcome, dear," he replied. "And I expect to see you wearing those quite soon in the future."

"I will," she promised, and stepped outside the store. She looked up and down the boardwalk, and did not see anyone she knew. She placed her purchases in the wagon and turned to her left and walked downtown.

Secretly, the men tipping their hats and women nodding a "Good day" to Natalie thrilled her. People assumed her as one of them, a normal, law-abiding town citizen. Lee eventually stopped at the jeweler's and walked inside.

"Good afternoon, miss," said the clerk. "May I help you with anything?"

"Oh, I'm just looking," Natalie replied, trying to sound refined.

"Well, if you see anything you like, just let me know." Lee smiled in return and surveyed the store's goods. She was admiring a silver tea set when suddenly, she heard a voice call out…  
"Natalie!"

She turned around and smiled joyfully. Scott!

"Fancy seeing you here, Natalie," said Scott. "I was just thinking about you today."

"Really?" she asked, trying to keep from jumping up and down in glee. "Well, I was just thinking about seeing you in town today."

"Ah, you're too nice." Scott looked at the tea set. "Pretty, isn't it?"

"It sure is."

"My mother has one similar to it, but she never uses it, the silly. She just keeps it on display, saying she'll use it for company some day. I think she wouldn't use it if the president of the United States himself came to our house."

Natalie laughed and walked with Scott as they looked at the various tea sets, platters, necklaces, bracelets, and other assorted pretty things. Eventually, they arrived at the rings.

"Oh, they're just gorgeous, aren't they?" gasped Lee. She bent down and studied the solitaire diamond rings. The clerk walked over and pulled the tray out from the cabinet and placed it out for Scott and Natalie to see.

"Needing an engagement ring soon, sir?" asked the clerk with a smile.

Scott blushed. "Well, uh, not exactly…that is…"

"Oh, that's alright," said the clerk. He replaced the tray and walked off, whistling. Scott and Natalie looked at each other and laughed, both slightly embarrassed.

"Hey, Lee, where've you been?"

Lee looked up in horror at Billy and Steve walking towards her and Scott.

"Come on, Lee; we're going to miss the town shooting contest!"

"Natalie, are these acquaintances of yours?" asked Scott, eyeing the Regulators skeptically.

"Uh, yes, these are my _brothers,_ Billy and Steve." Natalie gave them a "play along, please!" look, and while Billy understood, Steve did not.

"Lee, what're…well, who are _you_, mister?" asked Steve, looking fiercely at Scott.

"I'm Scott Olson, a citizen of Lincoln, and a friend of Natalie here," he replied, taking Natalie's arm. "Now, you say you're interested in the town shooting? I'm not really game for that type of thing, but…"  
"Oh, let's go!" said Lee, rather eagerly. She checked herself and regained her serene self. "That is, if you don't mind going, Scott."

"Well, if you want to, I guess I can suffer through it," he laughed. Steve and Billy were already out the door, and Lee and Scott followed. They all walked to the southern edge of town, where the shooting arena had been set up. Men signed up at the booth and checked their guns. Lee noticed that Dick and Doc had already signed up, and Charlie was in the process of signing.

"It looks like there's a knife-throwing contest too," observed Scott, and Lee saw Chavez was standing at the ready with his knives.

"I'll be back in a second, Scott," said Lee. She walked down to where the other knife-throwing men stood.

"Chavez!" she called. Chavez strode over to Natalie.

"Hey," he said. "Came to be the only one to cheer me on, eh?"

Lee looked past him to the other men; they all glared at Chavez and muttered to each other. Lee's ears caught the words "Injun-greaser", and she looked up at her friend.

"Oh, it's not so bad; you'll win!"

"I don't know if they'll be too happy about that, Lee."

"Hey, boy!" Chavez turned around to see a middle-aged man wielding a throwing knife coming towards him. "You leave that missy alone!"

"It's alright sir, he's a friend of mine," said Natalie. She turned to Chavez. "Good luck," she said, and, making sure all the other contestants could see, pulled Chavez close and gave him a long kiss.

She then turned, relishing the other men's jealous faces, and walked haughtily off. She walked over to where Scott stood; the shooting was about to begin.

"Lee!" Billy ran up to the lady. "I just realized there's no rule about only men shooting!"

"So?" she asked, trying to pretend she didn't realize the significance.

"Lee, you should sign up!" Lee turned to Scott, making sure he wasn't shocked.

"It's just a hobby, really," she said.

"Lee, if you can shoot well enough to be in the contest, then go ahead. That's quite remarkable!" Lee smiled at Scott's tolerance. She then followed Billy to the sign-up table. Several appalled faces met Lee as she signed her name, but no objections came forth.

The contest proceeded. The country boys did much better than the townspeople, and the farm families in their patched clothing cheered more than the Lincoln citizens. Dick performed a bit better than Doc, and Lee noticed that not many people cheered for the Regulators. When it was finally Billy's turn, he hit every mark: the bull's eye of the mounted target, the wood thrown into the air, and the center of the ace of spades. It was then Natalie's turn.

"Lee Greenwater," read the announcer. The crowd politely applauded, but the applause subsided as Natalie walked up to the line, the pistol she borrowed from Billy at the ready.

"Now, this is too much," said a contest official, walking up to Lee.

"Sir, there is no rule against women participating," called out Scott.

The official grumbled a bit, then said, "Alright, Mr. Olson, I guess we can let her try."

Natalie realized they all expected her to fail; she decided to let them all down.

She hit the bull's eye, she hit the block thrown into the air, twice, and she hit the ace of spades, followed by hitting each of the four smaller spades on the card. She smiled as the majority of the crowds applauded and cheered, and the Regulators shook her hand, and Scott hugged her.

The crowds then migrated down to the knife-throwing. Several of the throws fell short, or high, or hit way off target. Chavez, of course, hit all the targets dead-on. He undoubtedly won, but before he received his prize, one of the officials stood up.

"Now, this is not going to do," he proclaimed. "I will not allow the citizens to witness the award going to a person of such nationality, and I say the award goes to the second-place man, Mr. Robert Forty." Several of the crowd members booed, while a few, mostly older, people clapped politely. The Regulators hurried up to Chavez, and Dick turned to John.

"Mr. Tunstall, come on, do something!"

"Excuse me," said John to the official, "I employ this man, and I must say, I see no reason for…"

"Aha, he's a Tunstall Regulator, one of those flotsam and jetsam of the frontier," called out the official.

"Now, I must say, that's quite irrelevant in this--," Tunstall tried to object.

"'No _criminal_ may compete' is in the rules of the contest. Therefore, no Tunstall Regulators may compete!" The crowd supported him through applause. Natalie watched in horror as her friends faced terrible humiliation. She forced her way through the crowds and stopped at the official. She tore off her medal and threw it to his feet.

"Then I must be disqualified too, as I am also a Tunstall Regulator," she yelled. The crowd quieted down and stared at the pretty woman in the dress. She was a Regulator?

"Well, this is quite unexpected," said the official quietly. He looked past her to John. "Mr. Tunstall, you also employ this, er, woman?"

"That I do. And I must add, she is no criminal, but only a woman that needed shelter and support, things that no one else felt fit to give her." The remark was followed by an awkward silence.

"I think it's time to go, Mr. Tunstall," said Dick. Tunstall nodded, and the Regulators followed him out of the crowd. Natalie ran up to Scott.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier," Lee apologized.

Scott looked down at Lee. "I wish you would have told me; I would have understood." He turned and walked off, leaving Natalie by herself. She choked by herself as she followed Billy and the rest back to the pickets. She mounted her horse and rode with the rest of them back to the ranch.


End file.
